
Pathfinding our Destiny: Preventing the Final Fall of Our Democratic Republic
Failed to add items
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Adding to library failed
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
$0.99/mo for the first 3 months

Buy for $14.95
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
-
Narrated by:
-
Russell Newton
About this listen
America teeters on the precipice: our government is now captive to special interests and big money, twin cancers that threaten our democracy. This accelerating crisis is exacerbated by a toxic social media-fueled tribalism that has replaced “what do you think?” with “which side are you on?” Our crisis isn’t just political - it’s structural: as the pace of change explodes from gradual to non-linear, the organizations that dominate our economy - centralized corporations and government - become destined to fail. We see this failure in both the soaring inequality that has hollowed out the American Dream as well as in the rising tide of social and political disunity. To prevent the fall of our democratic republic, we must transform our economy and society from the ground up. As we enter a new era of rapid, unprecedented tumult, it is we citizens who will need to save our democracy. For our political and financial elites will cling to their centralized power, doing more of what’s failed, even as civil society unravels. All is not lost - yet. Our way forward starts with understanding the fatal flaws of our brittle, self-serving status quo and embracing this basic truth: better options are available if we’re willing to explore.To pathfind our way to a better destiny, we must create new localized structures optimized for resilience and adaptability - a flexible, decentralized, sustainable, democratic, opportunity-for-all nation.
©2018 Charles Hugh Smith (P)2018 SpokenTome.MediaListeners also enjoyed...
-
A Brief History of Central Banking
- How the Quest for Financial Stability Led to Unconventional Monetary Practices
- By: Dominic Haynes
- Narrated by: Jeff Bower
- Length: 5 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Whether you’re looking to deepen your knowledge of complex banking practices, better understand the history of international finance, or simply learn more about central banking as it relates to your everyday life, this book will give you a comprehensive introduction and solid foundation for future study.
-
-
2 weird mistakes
- By RLake on 04-18-25
By: Dominic Haynes
-
The End of Normal
- The Great Crisis and the Future of Growth
- By: James K. Galbraith
- Narrated by: L. J. Ganser
- Length: 9 hrs and 27 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The years since the Great Crisis of 2008 have seen slow growth, high unemployment, falling home values, chronic deficits, a deepening disaster in Europe - and a stale argument between two false solutions, “austerity” on one side and “stimulus” on the other. Both sides and practically all analyses of the crisis so far take for granted that the economic growth from the early 1950s until 2000 - interrupted only by the troubled 1970s - represented a normal performance.
-
The Bullish Case for Bitcoin
- By: Vijay Boyapati
- Narrated by: Vijay Boyapati
- Length: 2 hrs and 24 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Boyapati presents the theory of money, the anatomy of Bitcoin, the reasons it is superior to the gold and fiat standards that came before it, and the promise that it offers to human civilization. He describes path dependence and the trajectory of a newly monetizing asset in terms the layman can understand, and he addresses the concerns that most commonly arise as newcomers struggle to comprehend the essence and significance of this first digital monetary network.
-
-
This is the book you give your dad.
- By Kirk on 01-25-22
By: Vijay Boyapati
-
The Price of Inequality
- How Today's Divided Society Endangers Our Future
- By: Joseph E. Stiglitz
- Narrated by: Paul Boehmer
- Length: 13 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The top 1 percent of Americans control 40 percent of the nation's wealth. And, as Joseph E. Stiglitz explains, while those at the top enjoy the best health care, education, and benefits of wealth, they fail to realize that "their fate is bound up with how the other 99 percent live." Stiglitz draws on his deep understanding of economics to show that growing inequality is not inevitable. He examines our current state, then teases out its implications for democracy, for monetary and budgetary policy, and for globalization. He closes with a plan for a more just and prosperous future.
-
-
One side is never enough....
- By Michael on 08-08-12
-
Economics
- The User's Guide
- By: Ha-Joon Chang
- Narrated by: Jonathan Keeble
- Length: 12 hrs and 25 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Cambridge economist Ha-Joon Chang brilliantly debunked many of the predominant myths of neoclassical economics. Now, in an entertaining and accessible primer, he explains how the global economy actually works - in real-world terms. Writing with irreverent wit, a deep knowledge of history and a disregard for conventional economic pieties, Chang offers insights that will never be found in the textbooks.
-
-
You have to really concentrate on this book
- By Bryan on 02-12-25
By: Ha-Joon Chang
-
The Scandal of Money
- Why Wall Street Recovers but the Economy Never Does
- By: George Gilder
- Narrated by: Corey M. Snow
- Length: 5 hrs
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Why do conservatives have such a hard time winning the economic debate in the court of public opinion? Simple, George Gilder says: Conservatives misunderstand economics almost as badly as liberals do. Republicans have been running on tax cut proposals since the era of Harding and Coolidge without seriously addressing the key problems of a global economy in decline. Enough is enough.
-
-
The most important book and I've read in the last decade
- By Odwalla on 07-28-17
By: George Gilder
-
A Brief History of Central Banking
- How the Quest for Financial Stability Led to Unconventional Monetary Practices
- By: Dominic Haynes
- Narrated by: Jeff Bower
- Length: 5 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Whether you’re looking to deepen your knowledge of complex banking practices, better understand the history of international finance, or simply learn more about central banking as it relates to your everyday life, this book will give you a comprehensive introduction and solid foundation for future study.
-
-
2 weird mistakes
- By RLake on 04-18-25
By: Dominic Haynes
-
The End of Normal
- The Great Crisis and the Future of Growth
- By: James K. Galbraith
- Narrated by: L. J. Ganser
- Length: 9 hrs and 27 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The years since the Great Crisis of 2008 have seen slow growth, high unemployment, falling home values, chronic deficits, a deepening disaster in Europe - and a stale argument between two false solutions, “austerity” on one side and “stimulus” on the other. Both sides and practically all analyses of the crisis so far take for granted that the economic growth from the early 1950s until 2000 - interrupted only by the troubled 1970s - represented a normal performance.
-
The Bullish Case for Bitcoin
- By: Vijay Boyapati
- Narrated by: Vijay Boyapati
- Length: 2 hrs and 24 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Boyapati presents the theory of money, the anatomy of Bitcoin, the reasons it is superior to the gold and fiat standards that came before it, and the promise that it offers to human civilization. He describes path dependence and the trajectory of a newly monetizing asset in terms the layman can understand, and he addresses the concerns that most commonly arise as newcomers struggle to comprehend the essence and significance of this first digital monetary network.
-
-
This is the book you give your dad.
- By Kirk on 01-25-22
By: Vijay Boyapati
-
The Price of Inequality
- How Today's Divided Society Endangers Our Future
- By: Joseph E. Stiglitz
- Narrated by: Paul Boehmer
- Length: 13 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The top 1 percent of Americans control 40 percent of the nation's wealth. And, as Joseph E. Stiglitz explains, while those at the top enjoy the best health care, education, and benefits of wealth, they fail to realize that "their fate is bound up with how the other 99 percent live." Stiglitz draws on his deep understanding of economics to show that growing inequality is not inevitable. He examines our current state, then teases out its implications for democracy, for monetary and budgetary policy, and for globalization. He closes with a plan for a more just and prosperous future.
-
-
One side is never enough....
- By Michael on 08-08-12
-
Economics
- The User's Guide
- By: Ha-Joon Chang
- Narrated by: Jonathan Keeble
- Length: 12 hrs and 25 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Cambridge economist Ha-Joon Chang brilliantly debunked many of the predominant myths of neoclassical economics. Now, in an entertaining and accessible primer, he explains how the global economy actually works - in real-world terms. Writing with irreverent wit, a deep knowledge of history and a disregard for conventional economic pieties, Chang offers insights that will never be found in the textbooks.
-
-
You have to really concentrate on this book
- By Bryan on 02-12-25
By: Ha-Joon Chang
-
The Scandal of Money
- Why Wall Street Recovers but the Economy Never Does
- By: George Gilder
- Narrated by: Corey M. Snow
- Length: 5 hrs
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Why do conservatives have such a hard time winning the economic debate in the court of public opinion? Simple, George Gilder says: Conservatives misunderstand economics almost as badly as liberals do. Republicans have been running on tax cut proposals since the era of Harding and Coolidge without seriously addressing the key problems of a global economy in decline. Enough is enough.
-
-
The most important book and I've read in the last decade
- By Odwalla on 07-28-17
By: George Gilder
-
The Fiat Standard
- The Debt Slavery Alternative to Human Civilization
- By: Saifedean Ammous
- Narrated by: Saifedean Ammous, Guy Swann
- Length: 12 hrs and 44 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In The Fiat Standard, world-renowned economist Saifedean Ammous applies his unique analytical lens to the fiat monetary system, explaining it as a feat of engineering and technology just as he did for bitcoin in his global best seller The Bitcoin Standard. This time, Ammous delves into the world's earlier shift from the gold standard to today's system of government-backed fiat money—outlining the fiat standard's purposes and failures; deriving the wider economic, political, and social implications of its use; and examining how bitcoin will affect it over time.
-
-
keep narrative to economics related topics
- By HM on 06-14-22
By: Saifedean Ammous
-
Democracy at Work
- A Cure for Capitalism
- By: Richard D. Wolff
- Narrated by: Shawn Compton
- Length: 6 hrs and 7 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Capitalism as a system has spawned deepening economic crisis alongside its bought-and-paid-for political establishment. Neither serves the needs of our society. Whether it is secure, well-paid, and meaningful jobs or a sustainable relationship with the natural environment that we depend on, our society is not delivering the results people need and deserve.
-
-
Fantastic
- By Brandon on 03-07-19
By: Richard D. Wolff
-
Dead Aid
- Why Aid Is Not Working and How There Is a Better Way for Africa
- By: Dambisa Moyo, Niall Ferguson - foreword
- Narrated by: Mike Chamberlain
- Length: 6 hrs and 29 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
A national best-seller, Dead Aid unflinchingly confronts one of the greatest myths of our time: that billions of dollars in aid sent from wealthy countries to developing African nations has helped to reduce poverty and increase growth. In fact, poverty levels continue to escalate and growth rates have steadily declined - and millions continue to suffer. Debunking the current model of international aid promoted by both Hollywood celebrities and policy makers, Dambisa Moyo offers a bold new road map for financing the development of the world's poorest countries.
-
-
Dangerous / Right Wing US view
- By David O'Donovan on 03-05-19
By: Dambisa Moyo, and others
-
Red Flags
- Why Xi's China Is in Jeopardy
- By: George Magnus
- Narrated by: Derek Perkins
- Length: 9 hrs and 59 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Over the past four decades, China's remarkable transformation has garnered admiration but also sparked concern. George Magnus draws on his intimate knowledge of this dynamic nation to uncover the origins of its ascent and show why the economic traps it faces at home and the political challenges it faces abroad pose a serious threat to its continued rise.
-
-
A pessimistic vision with western liberal bias
- By Jeronimo L. Jimenez on 10-23-20
By: George Magnus
-
The Globalization Paradox
- Democracy and the Future of the World Economy
- By: Dani Rodrik
- Narrated by: Mark Whitten
- Length: 10 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In this eloquent challenge to the reigning wisdom on globalization, Dani Rodrik reminds us of the importance of the nation-state, arguing forcefully that when the social arrangements of democracies inevitably clash with the international demands of globalization, national priorities should take precedence. Combining history with insight, humor with good-natured critique, Rodrik’s case for a customizable globalization supported by a light frame of international rules shows the way to a balanced prosperity as we confront today’s global challenges in trade, finance, and labor markets.
-
-
A remarkable perspective
- By Brad R Elledge on 02-11-18
By: Dani Rodrik
-
Stolen
- How to Save the World from Financialisation
- By: Grace Blakeley
- Narrated by: Grace Blakeley
- Length: 7 hrs
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
For decades, it has been easier to imagine the end of the world than the end of capitalism. In the decade leading up to the 2008 financial crisis, booming banks, rising house prices, and cheap consumer goods propped up living standards in the rich world. Thirty years of rocketing debt and financial wizardry had masked the deep underlying fragility of finance-led growth, and in 2008 we were forced to pay up.
-
-
Socialist alternatives to recent capitalism
- By Jeffrey D on 09-26-19
By: Grace Blakeley
-
The Captured Economy
- How the Powerful Enrich Themselves, Slow Down Growth, and Increase Inequality
- By: Brink Lindsey, Steven M. Teles
- Narrated by: Shawn Compton
- Length: 6 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
For years, America has been plagued by slow economic growth and increasing inequality. In The Captured Economy, Brink Lindsey and Steven M. Teles identify a common factor behind these twin ills: breakdowns in democratic governance that allow wealthy special interests to capture the policymaking process for their own benefit.
-
-
Interesting thesis, mediocre narrator
- By Peter Schrier on 06-16-21
By: Brink Lindsey, and others
-
The Great Divide
- Unequal Societies and What We Can Do About Them
- By: Joseph E. Stiglitz
- Narrated by: Kevin Pariseau
- Length: 14 hrs and 41 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In The Great Divide, Joseph E. Stiglitz expands on the diagnosis he offered in his best-selling book The Price of Inequality and suggests ways to counter America's growing problem. With his signature blend of clarity and passion, Stiglitz argues that inequality is a choice - the cumulative result of unjust policies and misguided priorities.
-
-
Disappointing
- By A. Hill on 11-25-15
-
Rewriting the Rules of the American Economy
- An Agenda for Growth and Shared Prosperity
- By: Joseph E Stiglitz
- Narrated by: Fred Sanders
- Length: 5 hrs and 53 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The United States bills itself as the land of opportunity, a place where anyone can achieve success and a better life through hard work and determination. But the facts tell a different story - the US today lags behind most other developed nations in measures of inequality and economic mobility. For decades, wages have stagnated for the majority of workers while economic gains have disproportionately gone to the top one percent.
-
-
Repetitive and not as specific as i would like
- By Auzzie Sheard on 07-24-19
-
The Age of Oversupply
- Overcoming the Greatest Challenge to the Global Economy
- By: Daniel Alpert
- Narrated by: Don Hagen
- Length: 10 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The governments and central banks of the developed world have tried every policy tool imaginable, yet our economies remain sluggish, or worse. How did we get here, and how can we emerge from the longest downturn in recent memory? Daniel Alpert, a progressive Wall Street banker and economist, argues that we are living in the age of oversupply.
-
-
Great book but now out of date
- By emory morsberger on 11-30-17
By: Daniel Alpert
-
The Euro
- How a Common Currency Threatens the Future of Europe
- By: Joseph E. Stiglitz
- Narrated by: Alex Hyde White
- Length: 12 hrs and 29 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In The Euro, Nobel Prize-winning economist and best-selling author Joseph E. Stiglitz dismantles the prevailing consensus around what ails Europe, demolishing the champions of austerity while offering a series of plans that can rescue the continent - and the world - from further devastation. Hailed by its architects as a lever that would bring Europe together and promote prosperity, the euro has done the opposite. As Stiglitz persuasively argues, the crises revealed the shortcomings of the euro.
-
-
Good Basic Premise but with wacky ideas thrown in.
- By Hectoris on 09-28-17
-
A Brief History of Neoliberalism
- By: David Harvey
- Narrated by: Clive Chafer
- Length: 8 hrs and 41 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Neoliberalism - the doctrine that market exchange is an ethic in itself, capable of acting as a guide for all human action - has become dominant in both thought and practice throughout much of the world since 1970 or so. Writing for a wide audience, David Harvey, author of The New Imperialism and The Condition of Postmodernity, here tells the political-economic story of where neoliberalization came from and how it proliferated on the world stage.
-
-
Monotone reader
- By Elizabeth on 09-28-17
By: David Harvey